I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Although I’ve been meaning to get a lot of reading done this week, I have literally had no time. I’ve had so many deadlines for my classes and experiments to conduct in my lab that I have just been exhausted. I promise to make more time this weekend, however, and get as much reading done as possible!
Ever since her husband and soulmate passed away, Faye has been an empty shell of herself. She remarried and tried to have children, only to be trapped in a loveless marriage and have failed miscarriages. Finally, Faye decides to stop this charade and get a divorce, to which her husband agrees. With only her car and a few dollars to her name, Faye leaves to make a fresh start in Beaufort, South Carolina, where she has been commissioned to photograph historic buildings. She quickly falls in love with the town and its beautiful, haunting lighthouse. But upon a visit to the lighthouse, Faye falls into the water … and emerges in 1921 to a body that is not her own – and into the arms of a man who looks identical to Will.
I don’t typically read romance novels. But this one, with its allusions to time travel, were too interesting to pass up. This is my first time reading anything by this author, but all of her other books have received stellar reviews, which made me feel quite hopeful when beginning this one.
So, let me start by saying that the romance angle was pretty spot-on. The interactions between the main characters was believable and deep. You could feel the depth of Faye’s despair when she was battling her depression, and you could feel the rise in hope when she emerged in 1921. I wish the novel had spent more time showing how she falls in love with Will’s look-alike because I wanted to savor their chemistry more!
There was some mystery as to why Faye’s fate was connected with the lighthouse. Unfortunately, that wasn’t really answered. I wish it had been; it would have added some more complexity to this story. One thing I didn’t like was the awkwardness of Faye’s time travel; every time she travelled back to her original time, it felt abrupt and pointless. It’s not like the time she spent in her own world was spent productively; she didn’t really do any digging or research into the history or “magic” behind the lighthouse. There are quite a few references to religion, which I don’t necessarily like but that didn’t really bother me. My general thoughts on the plot were that it was predictable and uninteresting.
The author created a story with a sweet romance and some paranormal happenings. The main focus in this story is about hope and fate, and it was well-written. However, there is no real plot or mystery to it, and if you are looking for something with more of a body, then this is not the novel for you. Overall, it was a pleasant romance to read that will put a smile on your face.
Happy reading ~